Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate) by country
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and...
Countries reporting
186
Highest
35.7%
Lesotho
Lowest
0.5%
Burundi
Median
10.2%
Years covered
35
1991–2025
Data points
8,176
What the numbers show
Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate) is currently reported for 186 countries. The highest value is 35.7% in Lesotho; the lowest is 0.5% in Burundi.
The median across all reporting countries is 10.2%, and the mean is 11.4%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 65.
Over the past decade 75 countries rose and 111 fell. The largest increase was in Saudi Arabia (up 394.3%), and the largest decrease in East Timor (down 83.1%).
Employment in industry, female (% of female employment): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesotho | 35.7% | 2025 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 2 | Tunisia | 31.8% | 2025 | down 4.0% | falling |
| 3 | Vietnam | 30.9% | 2025 | up 60.2% | rising |
| 4 | Tonga | 26.9% | 2025 | down 29.8% | falling |
| 5 | Cambodia | 25.8% | 2025 | up 6.0% | rising |
| 6 | Iran | 25.3% | 2025 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 7 | China | 24.8% | 2025 | down 0.1% | flat |
| 8 | Algeria | 24.6% | 2025 | up 7.3% | falling |
| 9 | North Macedonia | 24.4% | 2025 | down 0.4% | falling |
| 10 | Sri Lanka | 24.1% | 2025 | down 5.1% | rising |
| 11 | Eswatini | 23.1% | 2025 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 12 | Romania | 22.1% | 2025 | down 7.6% | falling |
| 13 | Afghanistan | 21.6% | 2025 | down 34.6% | rising |
| 14 | Sao Tome and Principe | 21.2% | 2025 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 15 | Maldives | 21.1% | 2025 | down 1.4% | falling |
| 16 | Czechia | 20.9% | 2025 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 17 | Togo | 20.9% | 2025 | up 12.9% | rising |
| 18 | North Korea | 20.4% | 2025 | down 13.5% | falling |
| 19 | Turkmenistan | 19.8% | 2025 | down 6.1% | falling |
| 20 | Slovakia | 19.8% | 2025 | down 5.6% | falling |
| 21 | Bulgaria | 19.6% | 2025 | down 15.2% | falling |
| 22 | Belarus | 19.6% | 2025 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 23 | Benin | 19.2% | 2025 | up 22.5% | falling |
| 24 | Serbia | 19.0% | 2025 | up 14.9% | rising |
| 25 | Thailand | 18.9% | 2025 | down 9.3% | rising |
| 26 | Guatemala | 18.7% | 2025 | up 5.9% | falling |
| 27 | Slovenia | 18.7% | 2025 | up 16.8% | falling |
| 28 | Hungary | 18.5% | 2025 | down 3.2% | falling |
| 29 | Myanmar | 17.8% | 2025 | up 22.0% | rising |
| 30 | Malaysia | 17.7% | 2025 | down 7.8% | falling |
| 31 | Nepal | 17.6% | 2025 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 32 | Turkey | 17.5% | 2025 | down 5.5% | rising |
| 33 | Congo | 17.3% | 2025 | down 22.6% | falling |
| 34 | Mexico | 17.0% | 2025 | up 1.8% | flat |
| 35 | Senegal | 16.8% | 2025 | up 196.3% | rising |
| 36 | Poland | 16.7% | 2025 | up 1.3% | falling |
| 37 | Nigeria | 16.5% | 2025 | up 31.1% | rising |
| 38 | Albania | 16.3% | 2025 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 39 | Honduras | 16.2% | 2025 | down 18.8% | falling |
| 40 | India | 16.1% | 2025 | down 18.8% | rising |
| 41 | Indonesia | 16.1% | 2025 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 42 | El Salvador | 15.7% | 2025 | down 19.3% | falling |
| 43 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 15.7% | 2025 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 44 | Morocco | 15.6% | 2025 | up 17.3% | flat |
| 45 | Ghana | 15.5% | 2025 | down 8.7% | flat |
| 46 | Uzbekistan | 15.4% | 2025 | up 17.0% | rising |
| 47 | Portugal | 15.2% | 2025 | up 3.1% | falling |
| 48 | Guyana | 15.0% | 2025 | up 33.6% | rising |
| 49 | Somalia | 14.8% | 2025 | up 9.0% | falling |
| 50 | Oman | 14.8% | 2025 | up 157.5% | rising |
| 51 | Lithuania | 14.7% | 2025 | down 10.6% | falling |
| 52 | Croatia | 14.6% | 2025 | down 2.6% | falling |
| 53 | Burkina Faso | 14.4% | 2025 | up 11.2% | rising |
| 54 | Russia | 14.4% | 2025 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 55 | Kyrgyzstan | 14.3% | 2025 | up 4.4% | falling |
| 56 | Ukraine | 14.3% | 2021 | down 12.9% | falling |
| 57 | Trinidad and Tobago | 14.2% | 2025 | down 0.1% | falling |
| 58 | Mongolia | 13.8% | 2025 | up 9.6% | flat |
| 59 | Estonia | 13.7% | 2025 | down 22.6% | falling |
| 60 | Italy | 13.6% | 2025 | up 2.3% | falling |
| 61 | Japan | 13.4% | 2025 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 62 | Colombia | 13.2% | 2025 | down 9.8% | falling |
| 63 | Pakistan | 13.2% | 2025 | down 9.8% | falling |
| 64 | Germany | 12.8% | 2025 | down 7.2% | falling |
| 65 | Cote d'Ivoire | 12.6% | 2025 | up 151.5% | falling |
| 66 | Nicaragua | 12.2% | 2025 | down 12.4% | flat |
| 67 | Bolivia | 12.2% | 2025 | down 15.8% | falling |
| 68 | Central African Republic | 12.1% | 2025 | down 16.2% | falling |
| 69 | Cameroon | 12.0% | 2025 | up 9.2% | flat |
| 70 | South Korea | 11.9% | 2025 | down 13.7% | falling |
| 71 | Austria | 11.9% | 2025 | down 2.0% | falling |
| 72 | Latvia | 11.7% | 2025 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 73 | Iraq | 11.6% | 2025 | down 3.2% | falling |
| 74 | South Africa | 11.6% | 2025 | down 2.3% | falling |
| 75 | Costa Rica | 11.6% | 2025 | up 14.4% | falling |
| 76 | Yemen | 11.6% | 2025 | down 5.8% | volatile |
| 77 | Niger | 11.5% | 2025 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 78 | Mauritius | 11.3% | 2025 | down 35.7% | falling |
| 79 | Cape Verde | 11.3% | 2025 | down 5.3% | rising |
| 80 | Kazakhstan | 11.1% | 2025 | down 4.6% | rising |
| 81 | Brunei | 11.1% | 2025 | up 11.2% | falling |
| 82 | Palestine | 10.9% | 2022 | up 6.3% | falling |
| 83 | Cuba | 10.9% | 2025 | down 1.4% | falling |
| 84 | Bhutan | 10.7% | 2025 | up 16.0% | rising |
| 85 | Venezuela | 10.7% | 2025 | down 3.4% | falling |
| 86 | Samoa | 10.6% | 2025 | up 37.0% | volatile |
| 87 | Suriname | 10.5% | 2025 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 88 | Brazil | 10.5% | 2025 | down 11.3% | falling |
| 89 | Guinea | 10.5% | 2025 | up 0.3% | volatile |
| 90 | Panama | 10.5% | 2025 | up 8.5% | falling |
| 91 | Comoros | 10.4% | 2025 | down 35.6% | flat |
| 92 | Rwanda | 10.3% | 2025 | up 61.9% | volatile |
| 93 | Chile | 10.3% | 2025 | down 9.6% | falling |
| 94 | Saudi Arabia | 10.1% | 2025 | up 394.3% | volatile |
| 95 | Mauritania | 10.0% | 2025 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 96 | Armenia | 9.9% | 2025 | up 30.0% | falling |
| 97 | Singapore | 9.9% | 2025 | down 22.4% | falling |
| 98 | New Zealand | 9.8% | 2025 | down 2.8% | falling |
| 99 | Switzerland | 9.7% | 2025 | down 3.0% | falling |
| 100 | Argentina | 9.6% | 2025 | up 10.5% | falling |
| 101 | France | 9.6% | 2025 | up 2.4% | falling |
| 102 | Madagascar | 9.3% | 2025 | down 4.9% | rising |
| 103 | Philippines | 9.3% | 2025 | up 0.3% | falling |
| 104 | Ireland | 9.2% | 2025 | up 8.5% | falling |
| 105 | Peru | 9.2% | 2025 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 106 | Denmark | 9.2% | 2025 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 107 | Spain | 9.1% | 2025 | up 4.2% | falling |
| 108 | Ecuador | 9.1% | 2025 | down 13.3% | falling |
| 109 | Bangladesh | 9.0% | 2025 | down 51.3% | falling |
| 110 | Egypt | 8.8% | 2025 | up 42.1% | falling |
| 111 | Finland | 8.8% | 2025 | up 6.8% | falling |
| 112 | Botswana | 8.7% | 2025 | up 6.6% | falling |
| 113 | United Arab Emirates | 8.7% | 2025 | up 13.2% | falling |
| 114 | Gabon | 8.7% | 2025 | up 27.9% | rising |
| 115 | Uruguay | 8.6% | 2025 | down 9.7% | falling |
| 116 | Canada | 8.6% | 2025 | down 0.3% | falling |
| 117 | Paraguay | 8.5% | 2025 | down 12.0% | falling |
| 118 | Bahrain | 8.5% | 2025 | down 7.4% | rising |
| 119 | Guam | 8.3% | 2025 | down 6.5% | falling |
| 120 | United States | 8.2% | 2025 | down 3.8% | falling |
| 121 | Montenegro | 8.2% | 2025 | up 1.3% | falling |
| 122 | Greece | 8.2% | 2025 | up 1.3% | falling |
| 123 | Australia | 8.2% | 2025 | up 4.1% | falling |
| 124 | Georgia | 8.1% | 2025 | up 51.5% | flat |
| 125 | Belgium | 8.0% | 2025 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 126 | Malta | 8.0% | 2025 | down 5.4% | falling |
| 127 | Dominican Republic | 7.9% | 2025 | down 13.3% | falling |
| 128 | New Caledonia | 7.9% | 2025 | down 18.3% | falling |
| 129 | Puerto Rico | 7.8% | 2025 | down 11.9% | falling |
| 130 | Namibia | 7.8% | 2025 | up 28.3% | flat |
| 131 | Belize | 7.7% | 2025 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 132 | Fiji | 7.6% | 2025 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 133 | Moldova | 7.6% | 2025 | up 14.3% | falling |
| 134 | Mali | 7.5% | 2025 | up 23.8% | volatile |
| 135 | Iceland | 7.4% | 2025 | up 6.3% | falling |
| 136 | Eritrea | 7.3% | 2025 | down 12.0% | falling |
| 137 | United States Virgin Islands | 7.2% | 2025 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 138 | United Kingdom | 7.2% | 2025 | down 6.3% | falling |
| 139 | Azerbaijan | 7.1% | 2025 | up 18.5% | falling |
| 140 | Norway | 7.1% | 2025 | up 0.6% | falling |
| 141 | Sweden | 7.0% | 2025 | up 1.0% | falling |
| 142 | Barbados | 6.9% | 2025 | down 29.5% | falling |
| 143 | Tajikistan | 6.9% | 2025 | up 11.5% | rising |
| 144 | Syria | 6.9% | 2025 | down 7.1% | falling |
| 145 | Israel | 6.8% | 2025 | down 14.4% | falling |
| 146 | Kuwait | 6.7% | 2025 | up 18.8% | rising |
| 147 | Guinea-Bissau | 6.7% | 2025 | up 66.2% | rising |
| 148 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 6.6% | 2025 | down 3.8% | falling |
| 149 | Jordan | 6.3% | 2025 | down 21.4% | falling |
| 150 | Chad | 6.3% | 2025 | up 19.9% | volatile |
| 151 | Lebanon | 6.1% | 2023 | down 10.7% | falling |
| 152 | Sierra Leone | 6.1% | 2025 | up 251.3% | volatile |
| 153 | Saint Lucia | 5.8% | 2025 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 154 | Laos | 5.7% | 2025 | up 8.1% | rising |
| 155 | Cyprus | 5.7% | 2025 | down 8.8% | falling |
| 156 | Jamaica | 5.7% | 2025 | down 1.3% | falling |
| 157 | Netherlands | 5.5% | 2025 | down 10.6% | falling |
| 158 | Gambia | 5.0% | 2025 | up 2.4% | flat |
| 159 | Ethiopia | 4.8% | 2025 | down 38.1% | falling |
| 160 | Haiti | 4.8% | 2025 | down 16.1% | falling |
| 161 | French Polynesia | 4.7% | 2025 | down 6.6% | falling |
| 162 | Libya | 4.6% | 2025 | down 1.8% | falling |
| 163 | Malawi | 4.6% | 2025 | down 5.6% | falling |
| 164 | Equatorial Guinea | 4.5% | 2025 | down 4.2% | rising |
| 165 | Kenya | 4.5% | 2025 | up 21.8% | rising |
| 166 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 4.3% | 2025 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 167 | Vanuatu | 4.3% | 2025 | up 15.2% | rising |
| 168 | Hong Kong | 4.3% | 2025 | up 1.4% | volatile |
| 169 | Tanzania | 4.2% | 2025 | down 9.8% | falling |
| 170 | Bahamas | 4.2% | 2025 | up 12.6% | falling |
| 171 | Qatar | 3.8% | 2025 | down 34.6% | rising |
| 172 | Liberia | 3.8% | 2025 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 173 | Macao | 3.6% | 2025 | down 23.2% | volatile |
| 174 | Zambia | 3.6% | 2025 | up 20.8% | rising |
| 175 | Uganda | 3.5% | 2025 | up 6.8% | volatile |
| 176 | Zimbabwe | 3.5% | 2025 | down 17.8% | falling |
| 177 | Solomon Islands | 3.1% | 2025 | down 9.2% | volatile |
| 178 | Sudan | 2.8% | 2022 | down 6.8% | rising |
| 179 | Papua New Guinea | 2.4% | 2025 | down 8.8% | falling |
| 180 | Luxembourg | 2.2% | 2025 | down 47.6% | falling |
| 181 | Angola | 1.7% | 2025 | down 11.6% | falling |
| 182 | East Timor | 1.4% | 2025 | down 83.1% | falling |
| 183 | South Sudan | 1.3% | 2023 | down 21.3% | falling |
| 184 | Mozambique | 1.2% | 2025 | down 54.1% | volatile |
| 185 | Djibouti | 0.9% | 2025 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 186 | Burundi | 0.5% | 2025 | down 40.2% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 22.8%
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 22.8%
- Late-demographic dividend 21.8%
- East Asia & Pacific 21.7%
- Upper middle income 20.6%
- IBRD only 19.0%
- Central Europe and the Baltics 18.3%
- Middle income 18.1%
- Low & middle income 17.0%
- IDA & IBRD total 16.8%
- World 15.7%
- South Asia 15.4%
About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities (electricity, gas, and water), in accordance with divisions 2-5 (ISIC 2) or categories C-F (ISIC 3) or categories B-F (ISIC 4).